Becoming a solicitor after failing to get pupillage?

Hi guys,
I was just wondering if anyone had any information on the possibilities available for joining a law firm after doing the bar course but failing to get a pupillage.

I realise that it certainly is possible; what I was wondering really was
a) whether having done the bar course was a significant disadvantage, since it might show you don't really want to be a solicitor,

b) what people in such a position tend to say on their application forms to law firms to reconcile their BPTC qualification with their professed desire to be a solicitor and

c) whether people actually try and hide the fact they've done the bar course in such a situation, saying they just did a gap year or the like.

Thanks a lot!

Im doing that. I have worked for 2 solicitors. Going to the 1st a couple of months before OLPAS last year i was quite honest and said I did want a pupillage, I caveated that i would be comitting until at least Sep 2012 as that was when a pupillage through OLPAS would start (didn't discuss non olpas as cross bridge and all that) they were happy to take me on knowing I just wanted the experience.

Then a few months later i was enjoying it immensley, starting to do my own advocacy and becoming less interested in the bar and more interested in being a solicitor so I applied for QLTT and my boss was happy to fill in the forms for me knew thats where i was now probably headed. Then they lost their legal aid contract so i figured my days were numbered (although it was JRd in the end) and I looked for another job and came upon my current place where they wanted to start doing advocacy inhouse with fixed fees coming in so offered me a pseudo TC for the rest of my qualifying (about 6m left now). It is perfect for them and now all their trainees are BVC (well, the 2 others there are) as they dont have to register the training contract, fund PSC etc but get a 'trainee' who is able to start with simple advocacy as well.

These firms didnt have a problem but of course now the QLTT is gone its a different story - ie how would you become a solicitor without the LPC as the BPTC does not allow you to qualify as anythign but a barrister? You would have to now do the LPC (or at least some of it) AND fight for a TC.

The only option i can see is such firms just keeping inhouse paralegal advocates who eventually become filexs).

So you could do the QLTT without having completed a pupillage? Where does that leave you now? Are you now a solicitor?

Yes until August 2010 there was a loophole in SRA transfer requirements where called BVC grads were considered "qualified" for transfer purposes - this is how bvc grads were able to apply for training contracts - they were actually pseudo TCs not registered but doing the same work etc.

I will qualify as a solicitor in about 6 months if i keep working.

Aren't the BSB looking again at the issue of the BPTC to LPC conversion element though? I seem to recall reading something about that.